wingchaser_labs

Here is part of a discussion from the taxinet forum. DP works but is merely a preservative adn in the long run "could" have negative effects of longevity of the mounts. Also DP is tougher to work with and shrinks more than a tan........ Its basically a cheaper way tofinish skins but as we all know cheaper is not always better!!WCL

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I tan everything....Borax merely "preserves" the
skin in it's current raw state.....
Tanning changes the structure of the skin.
With the ease and low cost of tanning, it's well worth it
to have a longer lasting mount!





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Agree, but....
This response submitted by CUR on 7/5/01. ( [email protected] ) 66.90.182.193
I agree with big Al about tanning everything, but a coyote can be mounted without commercial tanning or shop tanning, if you are short of funds or time. The skin can be scraped, salted, rinsed, degreased and then soaked for a day in a weak oxalic acid bath (one ounce oxalic acid crystals to a gallon of water) and then boraxed and
mounted. Green hides mounted by that process tend to shrink more than tanned skins and require a lot of pinning to hold facial details in place during the drying. Mind you, I am not recommending this, but just stating that it will work if you don't want to spend the money on tanning, or do not have the ability to do so.




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TO TAN OR NOT TO TAN?
This response submitted by B.S.RHEA on 7/5/01. ( ) 216.248.161.9
Clinton,I personally dont see any thing wrong with useing a good DRY PRESERVATIVE not plain borax.If you measure corectly and flesh it properly and dont try to make it bigger than what it actually is.A dry prserved mount can look as good and last as long as a tanned mount.Iknow alot of taxidermist that spit on D.P. use other than for small mammals,but I also know of blue ribbon deer that were dry preserved.To tan you have to flesh heavy meat,salt,wash,flesh again,pickle,then tan ,tumble and munt.To dry preserve you flesh,wash,tumble,preserve and mount.If time is an issue wich it is for me as a part time taxidermist that does around 150 mounts a year. I personally cant see NOT using D.P.Ok some one jump me.....(LOL).




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yeh,.....but...
This response submitted by Big Al on 7/5/01. ( ) 209.130.130.138
Obviousely, everyone has a preference....
I'm just thinking long-term....also, would the
customer want something merely "preserved" or
"stabilized" ?
My piece of mind is behind my opinion....
but then again, I've have no experience with dry-preservative..
Bye all!




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Tan or DP?
This response submitted by CUR on 7/5/01. ( [email protected] ) 66.90.178.206
Al is right about tanning. Over the years, I have mounted many full sized mammals with DP's like the old Van Dyke "Koraxum" compound and with Borax compounds. DP works, but it has limitations and in the long run, expecially in moist environs, DP mounts will not stand up to the test of time. I once did deer life group, a buck and two does, for public exhibit - all DP processed, although the hides were placed in an oxalic acid pickle prior to shaving and processing, time and the loss of my tannery prevented having the hides tanned, as I would have preferred. They still stand today. A fellow brought a fine mule deer head the other day that had been DP'd about ten years ago. The salt air and humidity here on the coast had caused the DP to leach out of the skin so that the entire face was covered in "snow". I cleaned the mount off as best I could, retouched the nose and eyes, cleaned the horns and gave it back to the customer. I figure it will be back in a year or two.
To argue that DP will not work is a moot stand. DP does work. To argue that DP is better than tanning is wrong. I have long been an advocate of the DP process, since I read the first books about it by Leon Pray. I have done elk, caribou, moose and a number of African plains mammals with DP, but they were all my own works. Customer works that went out the door were almost always tanned. I wouldn't own a rawhide dinner jacket, but I do own one made of leather suede.
And as far as time goes, I think sending capes and hides out for tanning saves me time, in the long run. I figure that I am as quick with my hands as anyone in the business, but process is process. Preparing a DP cape requires a lot of very patient work if it is to be done properly. Tanning in one's shop is a very different horse of quite another color. Tanning has always been a pain in my rump and I salute those who do it, especially them that do mine.....lol

I like tanning
This response submitted by trappersteph on 7/6/01. ( ) 152.163.188.5
I find it fun, I get vain about my tan too, so nice and stretchy, so much better than about 95% of commercial tans. Thanks Bruce Rittel, its his formulations, also thank that auto tanner guy, I use his machine to tan in after pickling.

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